Improvement in felting hats



tata anni? @finta MILTON D. WHIPPLEA, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

' Lena-s Patat No. 84,599, daad pagaba 1, 186s. l

IMPROVEIVIENT IN FEL'ING HATS. Y

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and maklng part of the same.

chusetts, have inventedVa-new and improved Machine for Felting Hats in shape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specication, in which- Figure l represents an elevation and vertical crosssection of a machine in which myinvention is embodied.

Figure 2 is aplan view ofthe same, showing the entire v mechanism of its structure. I I

Figur-e 3 is a partial end elevation, showin g the rollers and manipulators only, other parts having been removed. The object of my invention is to form a hat in proper shape during the process offeltin g,tran sfor min g through its agency a circular disk of any felting-substance into a hat of the desired shape, and of well-combined and conv densed material.

`The invention consists in a combination of mechanism by which a circular disk of felting-material, properly placed in the machine, is made to revolve, a portion of it always being immersed in a'liquid employed in feltiug, as it revolves, and its middle part being, by a uniform but slowv motion of a disk, to be described, forced into a shaping-mould or cylinder, 'while the outer part o f the same feltfdisk passes between two condensingrollers and two'm'anipulators, which, in combination with the rollers, imbricate and compact together the ielting-fibres, at the same time preventing the formation of folds or wrinkles in the material` as it is forced into the mouth of the mould for the crown of the hat.l The whole may. be actuated by a single driving-pulley.

My invention also consists in an arrangeu'ientof springs by which the manipulation` of the felt is rendered efficient, and the tearing ofthe material prevented. I t also makes the removal ofthe hat, when formed, immediate and easy.

My invention may b e applied to the manufacture of hats jom any felting-material, while the combination for manipulating and condensing the felt may be employed in the shaping of any felted article.

Referring to the drawings, a is a horizontal platform or table, to which all the remainirfg parts of the machine are attached.

The table a is pierced by a tub o r bath, t', which contains a suitable liquid, through whichv the felt-disk is made to pass during the formation of the hat.

A standard, t, attached tothe table a, has,'at its top, a box with a long bearing, in which the stem, d, of the mould b revolves, while longitudinal motion is prevented by a small rectangular thread about the 'stem d, as often employedwfor'the same purpose.

The crown-mould b` is a hollow cylinder, attached to the stem d `by a diametral bar across across the end adjacent to .the standard t. The other end of the mould b is open, and .the whole turns with perfect freedom around the axis of gure of the cylinder.

c is a circular' disk, attached, at its centre, to the end of a light bar, e. p

The diameter of the disk cis less than the same internal dimension of the mould D, and its ofiice is to gradually press into the mould b the disk of felt, thu forming the crown of a hat.

The bar e passes through opposite bearings in two upright standards, connected together by a horizontal band, by which they are attached to the tablea, and as one piece, designated by the letter e.

Between the standards, e', a spiral spring surrounds the stem e, by means of a pin, which passes through the stem e, and projects upon both sides of it. This spring is compressed when the disk c' is made to enter the mould b.

A horizontal cani is attached to the top of avertical shaft, g.

The end of the stem e is. kept in contact with the edge of the cam f by the spring just described.

The radiiof the cam f, measured from the axis of the vertical shaft g, increase uniformly in length, as the cam advances, three hundred and sixty degrees around the axis g. The longest and shortest radii li'e in the same line. This allows the quick return of the disk c when it has reached the limitof its course. The least radius is sulciently short to allow the disk c to withdraw from the mouth of the mould b, leaving a sufticient interval between itselfand said mould b for 'the introduction of the circular disk of felt before re- Beneath the table, and upon the lower end of this shaft g, is a spur-wheel, h., topwhich motion is communicated by a worm-wheel attached to the extremity of a horizontal shaft, s, which has attached, at its other end, a spur-wheel, `o. l

The shaft s is secured in its position by two boxes attached to the under side of the table a.

The upper part of the spur-wheel o projects above y the table a, and engages With a worm, uupon the shaft k.

The shaft k .is supported by two standards, l, at?

tached to the table a.

Upon the en'd of the shaft k furthest from the disk c is aiixed a pulley, m, by which the whole machine may be actuated.

Another shaft, k', rests within two standards, l', being at an equal height with the shaft k', above the table a.

The angle includedtbetween the two shafts 7c and k is twice the angle of slope of the similar conical rollers p and q, attached to the adjacent ends.`of lthe shafts k and k.

The two standards L' are attache'dtothe table a by hinged joints at the external edge of their bases. These joints permit the standards l', with the associated shaft it and roller 1.1,to be turned over and back, thus removing the roller p, attached to the shaft It, from its combination with the roller g upon the shaft k.

Upon the outer end of the shaft It is a pulley, mf, by which motion may be communicated to the shaft it and the roller y, if desired.

The rollers q and p are equal truncated cones attached to the shafts h and L, as specified, and arranged in suticiently close association with each other to condense the annulaiexternal part of the felt disk, which under side to the two standards l.

A spring, fw, shown in iig.' 3, attached to one ofthe standards l', presses against the back of the bar u and maintains the manipulator fr in its primary position by affording elastic resistance to its displacement.

The manip ulators' r and fr', when they approach each other and the line-of contact of the rollers pand q, have straight, smooth edges, parallel to the same line of con# tact. Between. these edges or faces the felt is received from the rollers fr and fr'.' These edges, in virtue of their own elasticity and that of the spring w, have a continuous vibrating motion, while the felting-material is in contact with them, and moving at a uniform rate between them. This vibra-ting motion causes them to Work over er combine and involve together the libres of the felt, at the same time keepingin proper shape that part of the felt-disk about to be drawn` into the mould b.

The roller rr has right-handed rotation, as we look toward it om the disk c.

By the combination of worms and spur-wheels with the cam f, before described, the progressive motion of the disk c is made very slow, while the speed of the rollers lr and 1 is considerable. This enables the feltdisk to be shaped and condensed thoroughly, while it is gradually fed into the mould b. lFriction between the felting-piece and the rollerlr'may be relied upon to give motion to that roller, but an equable, uniform motion of the two'rollers is better secured by causing the pulley m', aswell as the pulley m, to be moved directly by the external power.

To shape a hat, a circular disk of any felting-maf terial is taken, moistencd with a suitable liquid, such as is contained in the bath i, and placed between the disk c and the mouth of the mould b, while that part of the felt-disk beyond the edge ofthe mould b, and adjacent to the rollers p and q and the manipulators fr and lr', is placed between them, the roller p, with its shaft k', being turned one side for that purpose, as permitted by an arrangementi before specified. The machine is then set in motion by the pulleys fm. and m', the cam 7" b and the rollers 1) and q, and the manipulator-sr and fr' shape and condense the annular portion of the felt-r disk, which passes between them, and is in part drawn Within the mould b.-

When the cam f has periormed exactly one revolution, the stem e, with the attached disk c, is permitted, by the cam f, and forced by the then compressed spiral spring, (contained, about the stein e, between the two standards e,) to return to its primary position.

The mould b turns freely with the felting-material therein contained.

The roller p and the 'manipulator yr having been turned one side, permit the instant removal of the hat already formed, and its immediate replacement by a new disk of felt.

texture of the product are especial advantages of my invention. No part of the machine is liable to require frequent adj ustment 'or repairs.

Working models of the machine have produced small hats possessing the qualities above set forth.

The employment of my invention, by greatlydiminishing the time, labor, and amount of manual skill at -present required in this branch cf industry, would greatly increase the producing-power of the capital at present invested. Moreover, the articles produced would be superior to those now manufactured.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is.-

l. The processherein described of forming hats, by felting the same into proper shape from a flat circular f piece of suitable material, by a continuous automatic operation, substantially. as set forth,

2. The combination of the manipulators fr r with the conical rollers, as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with the conical rollers, of the vmould b and movable disk @substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the disk c, rod e, and spring e' with the cam j, substantially as and for the purpose described. l

,In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MILTON D. WHIPPLE. Witnesses:

J. H. ADAMS, EDwD F. ADAMS.

revolves slowly, the disk o advances within the mould The rapidity of the process and the well-compacted. 

